Secrets
by lunafairy738
Summary: In the modern world Anthony Edward Stark has lost his father is a plane crash and now lives with his friend Rhodey. His life has been uneventful if you don't count that he is now the city's hero but everything changes when he stumbles upon a girl on a field trip. The girl actually turns out to be an experiment, a race of highly elite people. Will she turn human?
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys this is my first post in this section however this fanfic I have been writing for a while and I was wanting to opinion of the peanut gallery, my writer friends at school say that it is good for POV writing and I just have to post it as I want to do something with a 4 000 word fanfic sitting on my laptop. So here it is and if you have any better ideas for a title please tell me as this is one that I quickly picked. Please review and tell me what you think.

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**Chapter 1: Experimental Escape**

**C18PEP7's POV**

I lay there on the cold iron bed in between the crisp white cotton sheets pretending to be asleep. I don't know what the time was, no one ever knew except for Mastermind. We never saw him but we knew he was there, he had the highest IQ known to man, he has been around since before time began and was the father to God. He is our creator, each one of the 120 children here. When you turn 18 you get taken away and reappear as a Nevin, creatures that are zombie-like. They follow any orders given to them by the Mastermind, also if you touch a Nevin anywhere at any time you will turn into one of them, instantly.

I felt dirty lying there in between the clean sheets, despite my clean clothing, for I have never had a shower in my life. A shower where I lived consisted of a bucket of freezing cold water being poured onto your head by the Nevin; you got them once a month or once a week for the lucky ones. When you have a shower you have to be careful because at times the Nevin will put one of their body parts into the bucket and when it touches you, well you know what happens.

Anyway I was waiting for the regular check-up to come, when the Nevin check on us to make sure that we are asleep before I made my break for it out the window, jumping three stories and executing the perfect soft landing on the ground before checking to see if the coast is clear. Once I can go I will move to the inner wall of the prison we live in and getting over the inner wall then before having to get over the outer wall, once I am past those I am free to run whichever direction I want and I already know which way I will definitely go, away from this hell, this compound, this prison.

I hear the thick titanium door slowly creak open, I didn't need to look to know who it was, it was the Nevin who check on us. I could hear the moaning and groaning sounds it made, it walked over to each one of us poking us with a stick to see if we were asleep yet, if we weren't we would be taken to the Mastermind and turned into a Nevin. Although I seem to be the only one who has defied the rule yet.

When I was only a young child I got discovered awake late at night, it wasn't my fault I just couldn't sleep for some reason. I was taken outside and strapped to the wall for three days and nights without food or water, well it rained one night so I can't complain.

I was brought back to reality as I hear the door creak shut once more, I listened to the footsteps slowly fade away into the distance. Once I could no longer hear them I slip out of the sheets as quietly as I can and slide over to the window. I slowly open it, making sure to listen for the Nevin to see if they discovered me, no one, nothing, not even a sound, perfect. I climb onto the edge of the window and look out to the vast sea of grass that surrounded the building. I shiver in my clothing; it consisted of a simple white hospital gown that was tied at the back and a bandage wrapped around my lower left arm covering my glowing identification code, C18PEP7.

In the distance, I could see the great expanses of forests that surrounded the prison we lived, I hope to see the leaves above my head filtering and capturing the sunlight as it made its way to the forest floor, to feel the smooth and rough bark of the tree trunks to smell the wildflowers that lived in amongst the trees, that is where I would like to go.

I look down at the ground and saw something move, I jumped back behind the window and as silently as possible, close the window and slip into bed praying that no one heard or saw me. After a few minutes nothing happened so once again I slowly crept over to the window and looked out. Whatever must have been there seems to be gone. I waste no time this round. I open the window and climb out grabbing the outside of the window to shut it as I go down. I am hanging off the edge of the closed window now, I take a deep breath in, then out, back in again before letting go and falling to the ground. My gown flutters in the breeze, it fans out slowing my descent to the ground. I land perfectly taking a moment to catch my breath and see if anyone had noticed. There was nothing I decided to make a break for it running towards the inner wall about 100m or so away from the building. I slowly scale the wall and get to the top before jumping over the other side; I run to the next one and scale the outer wall although it took longer than the last one. I get to the top giving myself one last glance before jumping off and into the forest.

Suddenly a great burst of light came from behind me, I looked and I saw a large explosion go off. My adrenaline kicked in and I started to sprint as fast as I could go, I fell into something deep and wet. I felt my head collide with something as hard as a rock when I looked up I had in fact collided with a rock on the riverbed of a large river that was filled to the brim. I felt something warm and sticky run down my back from my head. I slowly reach around but fail as I am wrapped in a cloak of darkness and fall unconscious.

**Tony's POV**

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP I hear my alarm go off, I groggily peel my eyes open and slam my hand on the clock. I close my eyes and snuggle back underneath the covers hoping to get some more shut eye. "Tony, get up now, you have to get to school, remember you have that excursion the zoo today," I hear Roberta yell up the stairs at me. She had become my guardian ever since my dad had died in the plane crash and I had nearly died. I live and for that I have to thank my artificial heart implant. "Tony get up now," I hear Roberta yell from outside my door with a loud banging to go with it.

"I'm getting up Roberta," I reply to her attempts to get me up. I pull the covers off me and shiver slightly at the cold before slinking out of bed towards my wardrobe. I picked out the usual, red T-shirt with blue jeans and red sneakers with a high lip. I grab my bag that contained the armour and headed downstairs to the kitchen table where Rhodey sat with his mom, Roberta, behind the island bench.

"It's about time you got up Tony, you're going to be late to school so here," Roberta says as she shoves a piece of toast in my hand with butter on it, "this is for the bus ride." With that I was pulled out the door by my friend.

We sat together at the back on the bright banana yellow school bus taking us to the zoo for our science excursion; I managed to inhale the toast before we had to get off. "Now don't go too far off and remember that we are going to meet back here at 12o'clock for lunch in the park," our teacher tell us and our fellow classmates. We set off together not really looking and just talking about the armour.

"I really want to get back to the armoury and finish those upgrades to the armour," I complain to Rhodey.

"Well I am with you there but sometimes you need to get outside," Rhodey argues. We continued waltzing around the zoo and it wasn't long before we were on our way to the park to have lunch.

We found a nice shady tree by the small stream than ran through the park. I was looking out at the stream and noticed something large and white on the other side that resembled the shape of a person. I put my sandwich down before grabbing my backpack to investigate. "Hey Tony, where're you going?"

"I thought I saw something on the other side."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, stay just in case you need to stall for me," I hear Rhodey sigh as I begin to jump from stone to stone like a frog to reach the other side. I cautiously inch my way over to find that what was there meant no harm. It was a girl, worse an unconscious one. She had long, greasy strawberry red hair and a few freckles on her flawless face, her eyes were gently closed as she lay there. She wore a white hospital gown that was saturated complete with mud spots here and there and also what looked like soot or ashes or something from an explosion of some kind. Her mud covered feet lay bare and exposed. I saw her chest rising and falling slowly I took her hand and felt her wrist for a pulse, there was a faint one there. What spiked my interest was the bandage that wound around her lower left arm, it glowed a faint green with the shape of letters and numbers. I took her arm and tried to read it but it was to blurry to read through the fabric. "Rhodey, I need you to cover for me, I'll explain when you get to the armoury later," I say to him over the phone.

"OK but you know I am running out of inspiration for cover stories, I might need some help creating some later," I hear Rhodey in my ear coming through the Bluetooth piece I put there.

"Well, done deal, once I finish the upgrades," I answer him, I smile at the feeling he was smiling too. I slowly knelt down and picked the girl up. She felt light in my arms, a little too light and I could feel her ribs in between her gown. Did she eat at all? Carefully balancing her I pressed the centre button activating my armour. I was now looking at the world through the familiar yellow hexagons with data on the sides of my vision and a yellow circle in the centre illuminating points of interest. I flew as fast as I could as not to be seen and around suspicion in the citizens. I got back to the armoury, I flew down the chute, the system automatically taking the armour off piece by piece and storing them away safely. I walked over carefully and laid her on the bench.

"Computer, scan life form for injuries," I say as I walk over to fridge to get a Coke.

"Scanning," I hear the female sounding voice I gave to the system, "no injury detected, life form, healthy and functional."

"Mmm," I hear a groan from behind me to see the girl was moving.


	2. Chapter 2

You guys are fortunate enough to get another chapter however the next might take some time to write up as I am in high school therefore I have a lot of homework and have little time or writing It also depends whether I am in the mood so ideas would be very useful so please tell me what you think.

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**Chapter 2: Waking Up**

**C18PEP6's POV**

I groan as I wake, the room was a bright white, I snap up before feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me, I nearly collapsed if someone hadn't caught me. Wait, SOMEONE, THE NEVIN! I flinch back immediately waiting for the transformation to begin but nothing happens; I slowly open my eyes and look up to find a raven-haired boy sitting in front of me. He wore some weird clothing as if it were split, a short red gown that was complete and did not need to be tied and something that covered his legs once again not needing to be tied and some strange cloth clothed his feet too.

I wake up from my trance when he reaches out to me, no I do not want to become one of them, I don't want to be one of the Nevin, "It's OK, I won't hurt you." I hear him say. I shake my head, before he does something that surprises me, he grabs me and pulls me wrapping his arms around my small frame. I twist and squirm to try and escape his grasp. "Shh, shh, it's all right I won't hurt you," he says to me. I stop and don't feel myself transforming, I slowly pull out and look at myself. My skin is not pale and pasty, I have no urge to moan and groan like the Nevin and I am still not following the orders given to me. I look up at the boy, he is the same, his skin although lighter than mine is not pale and pasty like the Nevin, he did not moan nor groan but spoke with a soft and calming voice and he did not seem to let me go despite all my attempts to. I slowly wound my arms around him finally getting to experience a hug for the first time in my life. He stroked my hair; the movement against me was calming and was lulling me to sleep. My eyes droop lower and lower until they close and not opening for a while.

**Tony's POV**

I watched her as her eyes dropped lower and lower. I call remembering the look in them when I reached out to her, they screamed at me, '_Don't touch me!_' For a while I was scared of that expression. No one had ever given me that expression before, I was the hero who saved the day, the only ones who hated me were my enemies and it seems I have a lot of them these days. I just wanted to know if she was alright. Was she hurt? Well the look in her eyes definitely answered that. She may be fine on the outside but on the inside she was scared, heck terrified even. I look down at the girl who had fallen asleep in my arms she looked peaceful. I spoke to soon, he face began to scrunch up, her brow furrowing, she whimpers constantly, turning from one side to the other, swatting things in her sleep. She seemed scared now, trying to defend herself. What was she dreaming about or was she having a nightmare? I reach over and wrap my arms around her, pulling her close to me trying to relax her and get her to have a peaceful sleep.

**C18PEP6's POV**

_I was back with him, the mastermind, I was being tortured and tortured, I was surrounded by everyone in the complex, they are all Nevin. I run only to find another wall of Nevin, I turn in another direction another wall. I keep turning around and around in circles until I see a part in the circle surrounding me I take a chance and run towards it only to be carefully making my way back. I saw him there, in the gap a large bright pink brain, wires connecting to it, floating with bubbles surrounding it. I feel my eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and I recognise who it is, Mastermind. He continues making his way closer and closer to me before I feel my back touch something I look up to see one of the Nevin standing behind me, my back touching his front. I stumble back a great pain spreading from my centre. I watch as my skin grows pale and pasty, I begin moaning and groaning. "Come here my child," I hear the Mastermind's raspy voice sounded loud and clear in not only my ears but my brain and my mind. I tried to defy the command but found myself drawing towards him I slowly stumble leaning heavily on one side. I made my way over to him before feeling myself being slapped._

I snapped up straight feeling arms around me, my self-defence skills kicked in, grabbing him and chucking him over my head and onto the floor before running around trying to find where the door was but I couldn't find where I was going before the sounds of steam hissing a hole appears in one of the walls I make a dash for it. "Rhodey, grab her," I hear a male voice sounds behind me I take my chance and run trying to dash past whoever was in front but only find my forehead connecting with soft flesh, I slowly inch back waiting for the pain to set in, but I felt nothing but a pair of warm hands circle around me, picking me up and holding me close. I peel my eyes open to find the raven-haired boy holding me. "Hey, it's alright," I hear him whisper into my ear, I feel his strides as he walks to a place before sitting down with me on his lap.

"Hey Rhodey grab that blanket on the table would ya," he says with his head held high as not to yell directly into my ear. After a few moments, I feel a large piece of fabric wrap around me, it was comforting and warm. "Hey, are you alright?" He asks calmly and gently, I nod back. "Can you talk?" He seemed to like questions.

"Y-y-yes, I guess," I slowly stutter, my voice not being used to talking. At the camp we were forced to keep quiet and not speak a word.

"So what's your name?" He pronounces clearly.

"Um," I mutter thinking about whether I should tell him my nickname or ID code, I chose my nickname as not to freak them out. "My name is Pep," I answer back slowly hoping they don't ask for anymore.

"Nice, nickname, what's it linked to?" the raven boy asked.

"It's my nickname from my code, see," I unwrap my lower arm by habit when introducing myself to new people, I hold out my lower arm with my glowing green identification code on the inside of my lower left arm, "C18PEP7." I watch as their faces turn from curiosity to doubt, that was when I realised that I had "introduced" myself as my true self, an experiment.

"Why do you have that on you?" I hear another voice sound, I turn my head to find another boy, I instantly knew he was not a Nevin as his skin was not white, in fact it was the complete opposite, dark chocolate brown skin and hair that was a few shades darker, his eyes the same tone as his skin. He wore a grey gown that was tied differently at the front and the same gown on his legs as well as his feet.

"Well, um," I stutter, my eyes suddenly get a flash of the mastermind, I gasp, '_No no no no no, I don't want to go back, I don't want to become a Nevin, I hate life there…_," my mind went into overdrive. My millions of thoughts going crazy in my head, I did not want to go back to the hell that was where I came from.

**Tony's POV**

I watched her as she tossed and turned in my arms, her breathing became harder and faster as if she was hyperventilating. She suddenly snaps up straight still breathing hard, she got up off the couch, she was scaring me and she was definitely not alright. I put my arms around her but that didn't last long. I was kicked hard and flung to the floor, as I looked up she was running in circles looking at the walls. I slowly get to me knees when I hear the door open, she tries to make a dash for it, "Rhodey, grab her," I command, I didn't want her getting away. My buddy steps in front of the door as it closes shut and her head connects with his chest and she slowly inched back from Rhodey giving him the same reaction she first gave me. Once she was within arm's reach I grabbed her and pulled her backwards towards me and picked her up. "Hey it's alright," I whisper into her ear to try and calm her down, I walk over and sit her down on the couch once again. I noticed her shivering slightly, "Hey Rhodey grab that blanket on the table would ya," I ask him making sure to try and keep her warm. I look down as I wrap the blanket around her and notice that terrified look in her eyes again. "Hey are you alright?" I ask her gently as not to scare her and she nods her head. "Can you talk?" I ask hoping to be able to ask more than yes or no questions.

"Y-y-yes, I guess," she stutters out in a quavering voice.

"So what's your name?"

"Um," she begins before appearing as if she was thinking, '_Did she not have a name?_' I ask myself. "My name is Pep," she answers slowly.

'_Cute nickname_,' I comment to myself, "Nice nickname, what's it linked to?"

"It's my nickname from my code, see," she says confidently before unwrapping the bandage that wound around her lower left arm to expose the glowing green code underneath, "C18PEP7."

'_What was she, was she human or an alien or something else?' _I saw her face go to realisation and cowered back into a ball.

"Why do you have that on you?" I hear Rhodey ask, she turns her head to face him.

"Well ,um," she stutters before her eyes snap open wide and appear to be glassed over the only movement was her eyes swinging from side to side and her breathing growing more and more rapid. I could feel her trembling in my arms with small droplets of sweat on her skin although she was cold to the touch.

'_Oh no_,' I thought to myself pulling her closer, '_she must be having a panic attack_.' I stroke the side of her head attempting to calm her down, "Shhh, shhh, it's alright you're safe here, we won't hurt you," I notice Rhodey sitting down on the bench watching us. She slowly started to calm down and curl closer into me grasping some of my shirt in a tight fist; I was surprised she didn't rip it but at least she was calming down slightly. Her face snuggling deep into my chest, I felt heat going to my cheeks from her actions. I could hear Rhodey starting to laugh at me.

"Hey would you quit it at least she's calming down," his laugh slowed down before coming to a stop, he leaned against the desk and sat there watching her. We sat there watching the girl until she drifted off to sleep.

"Rhodey you can go home if you want but tell Roberta I'm not going to be home tonight, say I'm doing I don't know stuff in the lab or something rather," I say as I slowly lie down on the couch with Pep still on me chest.

"Sure but you know how much trouble you'll be in," Rhodey warned and walked out. The hisses of the hydraulics closing the door managed to put me to sleep. I was out like a light but before I was pulled into the land of dreams I felt the girl whisper something, love.


End file.
